Anne of Cleves

Anne of Cleves was born in 1515 in Düsseldorf, part of the Duchy of Berg within the Holy Roman Empire. Her life before 1527 is not well-documented, but it is known that she was betrothed to Francis, Duke of Bar, at the age of 11, although the marriage did not take place. Anne’s marriage to King Henry VIII of England was politically motivated, arranged to form an alliance against Catholic France and the Holy Roman Empire. She arrived in England in December 1539 and married Henry VIII on 6 January 1540. However, the marriage was short-lived, lasting only six months before it was annulled, and Anne was never crowned queen consort. Despite this, she was given a generous settlement by Henry and was referred to as the King’s Beloved Sister, remaining in England for the rest of her life. She lived through the reign of Edward VI and saw the coronation of Mary I, outliving all of Henry’s other wives.

Anne was the second daughter of John III, Duke of Cleves, and Maria, Duchess of Jülich-Berg. She grew up in Schloss Burg on the edge of Solingen. Her education was informal, skilled in needlework and fond of playing card games, and she could read and write only in German. Portraits by Hans Holbein the Younger and the school of Barthel Bruyn the Elder depict her as tall and slim, with fair hair and a solemn appearance. Her marriage to Henry VIII was arranged by Thomas Cromwell, and the King had a dowry of 100,000 florins agreed upon for her. However, Henry was disappointed with Anne upon meeting her, and the marriage was soon annulled. She then lived a quiet life in England until her death at Chelsea Manor in 1557 at the age of 41 or 42 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.